Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are they're really no trains on boxing day ?

43 replies

bigchris · 18/12/2017 21:19

Its one of the biggest days in the sporting calendar

I can understand no trains Xmas day but surely boxing day people go sale shopping etc

OP posts:
camelfinger · 18/12/2017 21:19

That’s right.

SylviaTietjens · 18/12/2017 21:20

I thought there were never trains on Boxing Day.

Akire · 18/12/2017 21:20

They normally do train works so maybe is a replacement bus?

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 18/12/2017 21:20

Yes, but not as many as commute every day. They're doing works over the Christmas period aren't they?

MrsHarveySpecterV · 18/12/2017 21:20

I only found this out last week when my train driver friend told me. I think it's a good thing, i don't think shops should be open on Boxing Day (or on a Sunday)

Melfish · 18/12/2017 21:26

The tube is running (apart from the engineering work bits) but no national rail trains. I used to attend a race meeting on the outskirts of London on Boxing Day and they would charter buses from the course to the nearest tube stations where people could pick up a regular bus or tube.

singme · 18/12/2017 21:27

There are buses and flights though. I'm very lucky to have Christmas off work this year but then discovered this transport problem on Boxing Day to get back to work for the 27th. Booked a flight. It's nice the train staff will get the day off- speaking as someone who regularly works bank holidays etc.

GeekyWombat · 18/12/2017 21:27

I discovered this by bitter experience trying to get a train 20 minutes into Central London to see a play on Boxing Day. It does seem crazy!

BewareOfDragons · 18/12/2017 21:29

It's nuts.

Bairnsmum05 · 18/12/2017 21:30

Don’t know where you live but there are trains running in Glasgow on Boxing Day.

Nyx1 · 18/12/2017 21:31

It's only been the last few years...nightmare as was previously forced to stay with family longer. We don't have a car as normally London based.

This year we've just said, screw it, not travelling at a time that means spending two nights away. Also the trains were stuffed one year on the 27th because the engineering works overran. It was a huge battle to get home, some people were stuck on trains for hours.

ForalltheSaints · 18/12/2017 21:33

The London Underground runs on Boxing Day.

Glumglowworm · 18/12/2017 21:35

No there’s never trains on Boxing Day. It’s stopped me going home for Christmas a few times if I had to work the 27th. I could usually manage to get up there after work on the 24th but never would’ve made it back in time for work on the 27th (4 1/2 hour journey). I don’t work weekends or bank holidays so i know im luckier than some.

I’m told there are some buses (infrequent and finishing about 5.30pm) in my city.

Sport and shopping are very much non-essential activities though, so I can’t get very worked up about it. There’s usually loads of engineering work on between Christmas and new year so it’d be a shit service anyway.

katymac · 18/12/2017 21:37

Yes - all the youngsters at DD's panto are struggling to get back to work on Boxing Day, several of them can't get home for Christmas

It's a nightmare - they are greatly reduced on Christmas Eve too

& one arrives home 6am Christmas day & has to leave 4am Boxing morning to get back to work on time

Glumglowworm · 18/12/2017 21:45

I have loads of sympathy for people struggling to get to work on Boxing Day (and Christmas Day, that must be even worse!) and for people who are stuck spending Christmas alone because they can’t get home and back in between work

It’s often low paid workers who don’t drive because they can’t afford to run a car, so they also can’t afford to get taxis to work when the trains aren’t running

Chimera246 · 18/12/2017 21:50

Certainly wasn't when I worked in retail 15 years ago.

Meant I couldn't go home for Christmas and spent it along in a shit bedsit, 200 miles from family.

Chimera246 · 18/12/2017 21:50

^alone

PricklyBall · 18/12/2017 21:51

Nope, no trains, never have been in England (where my parents live there are buses, though - think that varies from one part of the country to another).

LightastheBreeze · 18/12/2017 21:54

No but there are buses. DS has to get a bus on Boxing Day afternoon as he is at work Wednesday

crunchymint · 18/12/2017 21:56

I remember when there used to be buses on Christmas day

Nyx1 · 18/12/2017 22:02

Apparently in 1979 even the London Underground was running.

How has consumerism led to all this?

onelostsoulswimminginafishbowl · 18/12/2017 22:07

It's stopped me being able to travel home most years as I can't get back for work on the 27th.

IncyWincyGrownUp · 18/12/2017 22:08

There are buses on Boxing Day up here, but it’s a very limited and mostly pointless service. The only time we’ve used them was to go for a stomp around the park.

Titsywoo · 18/12/2017 22:10

Nope nothing. We have driven into London on Boxing Day before to go to Winter Wonderland and it's very quiet. I think it's quite nice to have a couple of days where everything shuts down.

ivykaty44 · 18/12/2017 22:12

Why are people obsessed with shopping in stores on Boxing Day when it could wait till a few days later or just shop online

Swipe left for the next trending thread